Cylchgronau Cymru

Some of the disturbances, too, were fairly well organized. Often the rioters had recognized leaders. On the march from Llangyfelach to Swansea early in 1793, for example, the mob was led by Llewelin Llewelin, a collier, and Thomas David and William Thomas, coppermen, and, in Llangattock parish in March 1800, William Phillip, an iron miner, and John Davies, a collier, were amongst the most prominent figures. Sometimes, too, the rioting was not just a spontaneous outburst, as at Merthyr in September 1800. 'This riot has been in agitation some time', Samuel Homfray wrote to Lieutenant-General Rooke at Bristol, on the night of 22 September, '& Meetings have been held by the Men at difft. places, that it is a deliberate plan on a full determination to lower the price of provisions'.121 The Merthyr rioters were also determined to encourage violence in neighbouring towns so that all shopkeepers in the area would be forced to lower their food prices. The working classes were using the only weapon they really possessed which was the power of their own physical force. Society, in fact, accepted the right of such people to riot.122 In a sense the rioters of the years from 1793 to 1801 were only trying to enforce a fair distribution of food and a reasonable price of corn. Given the conditions of the time such working-class action can be deemed justifiable. Sometimes this action was successful and the poorer classes obtained the corn which they so desperately needed. The Merthyr rioters were even able to enforce price regulation for a few days. Sometimes, too, as in Cardiganshire and Pembrokeshire, the county authorities were forced by violence, and the threat of violence, to interfere on the side of the consumer. In both counties it was resolved to put some restraints on the movement of corn out of the shire.123 Many of the corn riots, however, were crushed before they had a chance of success, and, in general, they failed to give the working classes benefits of any permanence.124 The reasons for the failure of these riots are fairly obvious. In the years following the French Revolution the government and others 121 H.O. 42/51. mE. Halevy, England in 1815 (Pelican ed.. 1961). p. 148. 183 H.O. 42/37. Letter from H. Lloyd to Lord Lisburne, 4 December 1795. H.O. 43/7. ff. 415-16. Letter from the Duke of Portland, 22 March 1796. 124 Although they were a factor behind the prohibition on the exportation of grain. 1795-7 and 1800, and the suspension of import duties for some or all protected grains, 1795-7. See Rose, op. cit., p. 290.